Antonio T Baines
Antonio "Tony" Baines is a cancer pharmacologist/toxicologist teaching and conducting research with the next generation of STEM professionals as an associate professor of Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the College of Health and Sciences (CHAS) at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Also, he holds a joint appointment in the Cancer Research Program at the Julius L. Chambers - Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute (JLC-BBRI) at NCCU. He is a passionate advocate for students and mentees, helping them explore STEM career paths they want for themselves.
Research
Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the U.S., with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) being the most common subtype. Advanced-stage diagnosis of PDAC is common, causing limited treatment opportunities. After studying the oncoprotein K-Ras for years, the Baines lab's current research is focused on the oncoprotein target PIM kinases. Previous studies show that PIM kinases (PIM1 and PIM3) are upregulated in PDAC and are related to chemoresistance and cancer cell growth. The Baines lab works to help develop new drugs that better treat pancreatic cancer, especially in the area of drug resistance.
In the News
- UNC Board of Governors Selects Winners of 2025 Teaching Awards
- Adjunct Associate Professor, Dept of Pharmacology, UNC-Chapel Hill
- Member, Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine
Education
|
SPIRE Postdoctoral Fellow, Pharmacology (Channing Der and Adrienne Cox)* |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
2006 |
|
Ph.D., Pharmacology and Toxicology - Mark Nelson |
University of Arizona |
2001 |
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B.S., Biology (DNIMAS) Scholar Honors Program |
Norfolk State University |
1995 |
* Seeding Postdoctoral Innovators in Research and Education (SPIRE): NIH-funded teaching and research postdoctoral fellowship program
Affiliations:
- Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology at UNC-Chapel Hill
- Member, Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill
- Member, Precision Cancer Medicine and Investigational Therapeutics Program at Duke Cancer Institute
Courses
Publications
Baines, AT, Rorie, CJ, Swartz, Carol, Murphy, SK, and Meyer, J: Cancer and Carcinogenesis. (2025) Comprehensive Toxicology 4th Edition, Submitted.
Ingle, K., Lacomb, J.F., Graves, L.M., Graves; Baines, A.T., Bialkowska, A.B.: AUM302, a novel triple kinase PIM/PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, is a potent pancreatic cancer growth inhibitor", (2023) PLoS One, 18(11), 1-23.
Krulikas, L.J., McDonald, I.M., Lee, B., Okum, D.O., East, M.P., Gilbert, T.S.K., Herring, L.E., Golitz, B.T., Wells, C.I., Axtman, A.D., Zuercher, W.J., Willson, T.M., Kireev, D., Yeh, J.J., Johnson, G.L., Baines, A.T., and Graves, L.M.: (2018) Application of Integrated Drug Screening/Kinome Analysis to Identify Inhibitors of Gemcitabine-Resistant Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth. SLAS Discovery, 23(8): 850-861.
Baines, A.T., Martin, P.M., and Rorie, C.J., Current and Emerging Targeting Strategies for Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer. In: Kevin Pruitt, editor, Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science, Vol. 144, Burlington: Academic Press, pp. 277-320, 2016.
Xu, D., Cobb, M., Gavilano, L., Sam Witherspoon, S.M., Williams, D., White, C.D., Taverna, P., Bednarski, B., Hong Kim, H.J., Baldwin, A., and Baines, A.T.: Inhibition of oncogenic Pim-3 kinase modulates transformed growth and chemosensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine. Cancer Biology & Therapy, 14:6, pp. 492-501, 2013.
Baines, A.T., Xu, D., and Der, C.J.: Inhibition of Ras for cancer treatment: the search continues. Future Medicinal Chemistry, 1787-1808, 2011.
Xu, D., Allsop, S., Witherspoon, S.M., Snider, J.L., Yeh, J.J., Fiordalisi, J.J., White, C.D., Williams, D., Cox, A.D., and Baines, A.T.: The oncogenic Pim-1 kinase is modulated by K-Ras signaling and mediates transformed growth and radioresistance in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells. Carcinogenesis 32:488-495, 2011.
Rybarczyk, B. J., Baines, A.T., McVey, M., Thompson, J.T., and Wilkins, H. "A Case-based Approach Increases Student Learning Outcomes and Comprehension of Cellular Respiration Concepts", Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 181–186, 2007.
Lim, K.-H., Baines, A.T., Fiordalisi, J.J., Shipitsin, M., Feig, L.A., Cox, A.D., Der, C.J., and Counter, C.M.: Activation of RalA is critical for Ras-induced tumorigenesis of human cells. Cancer Cell 7:533-545, 2005.
Baines, A.T., Lim, K.-H., Shields, J.M., Lambert, J.M., Counter, C.M., Der, C.J., and Cox, A.D.: Use of retrovirus expression of interfering RNA to determine the contribution of activated K-Ras and Ras effector expression in human tumor cell growth. Methods in Enzymology. Vol. 407, pp. 556-74, 2005.
Grants
Selective Targeting of Pancreatic Cancer- NIH SPORE, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
7/2022–8/2027
“Duke University Superfund Research Center – Development Co-Exposures: Mechanisms, Outcomes, and Remediation”
9/2022–8/2025
Duke and North Carolina Central Universities “Researching Environmental, Social, and Personal Preferences to Enhance Clinical Trial Engagement and Diversity (RESPECTED)” project
9/2022–5/2023
Burroughs Wellcome Fund and Triangle Center for Evolutionary Medicine Collaborative Grant: "Develop Collaborations with Burroughs Wellcome Fund to Increase Student Participation in the Sciences: TriCEM Tiered Mentorship Training Program at NCCU
1/2021–12/2022
UNC-NCCU 21st Century Environmental Health Scholars, NIEHS R25 collaborative grant with UNC
5/2020–2/2025
Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Collaborative Grant, “Evaluate the role of Axl Inhibitor, TP-0903 in Pancreatic Cancer”
11/2017–8/2020